n.
Pronunciation: ' ch ə -k ə l
Function: intransitive verb
Inflected Form: chuck · led ; chuck · ling
Etymology: probably frequentative of 1 chuck
Date: circa 1770
1 : to laugh inwardly or quietly
2 : to make a continuous gentle sound resembling suppressed mirth <the clear bright water chuckled over gravel ― B. A. Williams>
– chuckle noun
– chuck · le · some \ -s ə m \ adjective
– chuck · ling · ly \ -i ŋ -l ē \ adverb